Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

heintz1 · December 2002

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/firstdrive/59644/article.html

fleetwoodsimca · December 2002

I went to the site, and immediately saw the metal rings in question, and assume that was the reason for the URL listing(?). I have to say, and maybe this is an admission of no taste at all, but I do not mind the metal rings on the three HVAC openings. I didn't read the review.

swschrad · December 2002

they look like evil distractions on that dash in the review picture.

zderf · December 2002

Just as some info to posts I've made here earlier, I am planning to bail out of my Mountianeer with 10K miles on the odo. I can't stand the shifting nuances any longer. Any more road trips in this thing and I'll drive it off a cliff.

Just beware of what appears to be a poor integration effort by FoMoCo between the 4.6 V8 and the AWD system. My 98 EB Explorer with full time 4WD and 5.0 V8 had no such problems.

Beware.

Thanks.....

poppedupat75mh · December 2002

I was traveling on I-70 from KC to St. Louis when I heard a "beep". I picked up my phone (thought there was a message) when the tailgate window opened up. I was doing 70+ MPH.

In the back of the SUV I had a small suitcase and a roll-on-board with weels. On top I put two leather coats (mine and my wife) and a small bag with gloves, etc. They flew out of the vehicle when the tailgate windows opened.

I wonder if anyone have had this type of experience with the tailgate window on a Mountaineer or an Explorer. I am sorry I lost the two leather coats and a bag full of gloves and other winter accessories (hats, neck warmers, etc.)

Let me know if "your" liftgate window did come open by itself under any circumstances.

clpurnell · December 2002

Well I appreciate all the expy comment even the passionate ones lol. I too think the dash could use some spiffing up and the lack of standard power passenger seat is an annoyance as well. I also have a couple more gripes but none really major. I don't feel that the expy is underpowered at all and I have driven both a 5.3 tahoe and inline 6 envoy xl. While the tahoe did have more umph it was way more noisy and had a substatianlly rougher ride. The envoy xl had a very smooth engine and ride but leaned so bad in turns I thought it would roll, it also very narrow inside and my wife, daughter and son's car seat could not sit comfortably in the middle seat. the expy is an unbeatable value for what you get. I mean the EB I am may get is only 500 more than an envoy and 2k less than a tahoe. I think the Sequoia is the best driving of the large suv's but it is at a 4-6k premium and I just can't afford that. Actually I know why ford won't address many of the issues pointed out above about the expy because they are addressed by the navigator. 300+ hp, beautiful interior, very comfortable seats etc. Why give the expy these things when they can make 10k more by calling it a navigator? jus my .02

heintz1 · December 2002

I provided the above link as a second opinion regarding the 5.4L V8. As you will see, these Edmunds.com reviewers also found the new Expy to be underpowered, even when hauling nothing more than two passengers. Here's the excerpt:

"...Unfortunately, we can't bestow similar praise on the powertrain, as the Expedition carries over both the 4.6- and 5.4-liter V8 engines from last year's models. Both powerplants received numerous enhancements geared toward quieter operation and more usable torque, but from our seat-of-the-pants perspective, the Expedition still lacks the punch of GM's V8s and the refinement of Toyota's iForce eight-cylinder. The maximum tow rating on 5.4-liter-equipped Expeditions has increased to a class-leading 8,900 pounds, but considering how easily it runs out of breath with just two people aboard, we wouldn't characterize the Expedition as our first choice for a tow vehicle..."

jerry2281 · December 2002

Effective 12/7 thru 1/2 Ford has 0/0/0/1.9 financing for 36/48/60/72 months or $2,000 cash back.

Unfortunately, I purchased in November but did get $1,500 cash back Loyalty Bonus with Red Carpet Financing going from lease to purchase. I casually asked dealer as I did not see on any web-site. Found money for me.

akabubba42 · December 2002

I now have 41000 miles on my 2002 Explorer Ltd.

No problems till two weeks ago. Since then I have had a broken axle (driver side front) and now the 4X4 doesn't work. Axle broke while driving 65MPH on a 4 lane and had to be towed.

Anyone know of others with these problems ?

Ford saying it is out of warranty.

cknsls · December 2002

I have a 2001 XLT Explorer. My hatch is not coming open when the vehicle is moving, but is somehow opening after I lock the car. Thinking maybe my wife's key fob was being pressed while in her purse, I asked her today to remove it from her key ring and use her keys or keypad for entrance in to the vehicle. I did this today. I will see if it still "pops open". I will keep you posted. Someone on the "Ford Explorer problems" board, suggested to me it might be the locking module itself. I will keep you posted.

jrc346 · December 2002

Wow! I can safly say that I have never heard of that problem happening before. The cause of your broken axle can clearly be blamed on the manufacturer of that part. An axle should not break while crusing down the expressway. There must have been some impurities mixed in with the metals while casting and this caused a weak spot where your Axle broke.

gmtoford · December 2002

I just got a 03 Explorer XLT, it's great. But I could not figure out how to bring the antenna down to do car wash. Anyone can help? Thanks!

mooky6 · December 2002

The antenna on the Explorer is not power. It is a fixed mast antenna. If you want to remove it you will have to use a wrench.

General comments about our Explorer:
2002.5 Explorer XLT 4.6 l V8 4x4 Mineral Gray exterior, graphite cloth interior
Options: 3rd row seat, aux. A/C, class III/IV trailer tow pkg.

I factory ordered this vehicle in April 02 and it was delivered 5 weeks later in May. There are no defects. Excellent power. Smooth, quiet ride. Tows our 3500 lb popup camper with ease.

Wishes: the factory stereo cd/cass could have better sound (note: '03 XLT can be ordered with audiophile system), cannot see total distance and trip odometer at the same time. Better gas mileage. Interior could be a little fancier.

Problems: only one, which has just appeared at 13k kilometers. The front suspension is creaking over bumps.

Overall: This is an excellent family vehicle which I would highly recommend.

made_mind_up · December 2002

Went out to dinner with my wife last night in our 2002 Mount'r, 18K miles. Also heard the beep with every bump. She said it started the night before, thinking it was a door ajar. In the dark after we arrived, it ended up being the rear glass open (not the entire lift gate). She said she NEVER uses the glass gate. Hmmm .... odd. I never drive it so I thought someone might have tampered with it.

Next AM, I go out and look at the hatch. The plastic is cracked one inch to the left of the circular Mercury emblem. Cracked from the top (by the bottom of the hatch glass) straight down to the bottom. Amazing !! I'm in New England, the hatch is covered in salt and sand and you can tell NOTHING bumped it to cause the crack. My guess is it cracked under the cold weather, plus maybe a little quality problem. The hatch never "popped" open, just released. Is yours cracked? Does this sound like it's covered under warranty? Ever hear of this "splitting" before?

gregb5 · December 2002

The front suspension creaking you hear is the center sway bar bushings. Ford is aware of this and has supposedly redesigned the part. They'll replace them for you.
I had mine replaced and now they're creaking again, though not as badly. I'm going to have them replaced again when it's due for state inspection.
To confirm the cause, just push down on the front bumper while it's parked. You should be able to hear it then without the need for a test drive by the dealer.

mooky6 · December 2002

Thanks for the tip on the sway bar bushing. If I take the truck through a car wash the noise goes away for a couple of days but then returns. I thought this problem was supposedly solved with the 2002 1/2's, but mine has the symptoms.

jv312 · December 2002

Does anyone use snow tires on their 2002 and up Explorer/Mountaineer? This my first winter driving my Explorer (or any SUV for that matter). In the past, my vehicles (Toyota 4WD truck/VW Jetta) have used Hakkapelita snow tires vs. Vermont's winter. How should I expect these Michelin Cross Terrains to fair?

krodren · December 2002

I've just had dealer replace lower ball joints on my '97 Explorer at 75K miles. They were replaced 2 1/2 yrs ago by a different dealer at 40K mis. Is this a known weak point on front end?

navigator3740 · December 2002

They crack. You don't have to abuse it, and Ford stepped right up and replaced mine no hassle. Gave me a loaner while it was in body shop. I only hope the replacement doors don't also crack in time. But they are defective. Probably a TSB out on them, haven't checked. My replacement leaks a bit, not major. That's the one knock I have on these new ones, they're not put together with the type of tight body fit I'm used to in Fords. I was hoping it would improve - mine was one of the first off the truck in 2001 when the new body came out. I attributed this issue to "first year syndrome".

alman08 · December 2002

Well, I guess you're the 2nd one who reported this problem and I was the first on this board. It's covered by warranty, no doubt, so no worry there. It's all stress crack. Here is a bit of info you might want to take with you. My problem was supposedly fixed about a month ago, however, the replacement panel has flaws on it and the dealer is still working on putting on another one. Right now, they're painting the second one ordered, however, we're not too sure about this one as well. Seems like there were little bumps, created by the glue that's holding the glass and the plastic together. I won't know until it's painted. Oh boy... anyway... after they get you a new one and have it painted, look at the surface from all angles and make sure you don't see any depressed surface. Good luck.

hmmm... now you got to wonder if more people are having the same problem.

Oh, and mine cracked when the car only has less than 2000 miles on it.

heintz1 · December 2002

So far, I've been very impressed with the Michelin Cross Terrains on my 2002 V8, 4WD XLT. These tires feel very sure-footed to me, and they've so far handled even treacherous icy roads remarkably well when combined with good driving skills and common sense. In addition, I've noticed that when driving on highways during *torrential* rains (at high speeds), the relatively wide and deep grooves of these tires seem to channel the surface water quite well, and I've yet to feel any hydroplaning under these conditions. Finally, I'll also mention that I've been extremely impressed with the performance of my vehicle's 4-wheel disc brakes and ABS, as well as its ability to "shift-on-the-fly" back and forth between the push-button selectable "Auto" and
"4-Wheel High" settings, even at freeway speeds. Simply put, I love this truck, and I continue to feel very privileged to own it and drive it.

made_mind_up · December 2002

navigator3740 and alman08: Good input. I think you guys might be right because when I called on Monday for an app't on Friday, LM wanted me to drive in sooner so they could at least "look at it for a minute, order one and then paint it". I didn't understand at the time, I figured it was an epoxy kit or something like that. Why would they have to "paint it" I asked myself? Now I suspect they knew exactly what I was talking about. I have a black Mntr, aren't there black hatches in stock? I'll let you know the outcome. I'm worried about this "leaking" though, maybe I'll live with the full split rather than water coming in. Thx.

alman08 · December 2002

The panel comes un-painted directly from the supplier (it's the entire upper liftgate which is entirely glass with the plastic panel glued to it, all one piece). Ford doesn't carry it. I even thought about driving down to the assembly plant and have them put one on that's painted... no luck

They said they don't do that.
Another thing...your car is black, make sure you check it for flaws when you get it back. Mine is medium wedgewood blue and it shows the depressed spots. Dark color will just enhance anything like that. Hehehhee... next time I will stick with my favorite color on car... white! lol

made_mind_up · December 2002

Thanks folks.
I took it to the dealer, they'll replace it no questions - just like you guys said. Dealer said he's never seen the "split" that I have before. He's replaced them for being "wavy", sometimes twice, but mine "looks like the plastic piece shrunk and just split". He said that he HAS had complaints about fit, where the OEM specs appear to be super tight and these hatches are somewhat looser (he guesses). There aren't any adjustments like older models. Hatch comes in primed, they send it out for paint and they order new emblems since it's easier. My major concerns are color match and leaking now. All in all, I'm still happy w/2002 Mountaineer. F/LM needs to replace items to a lower level to be more cost effective. Thanks again....I'll update.

navigator3740 · December 2002

My Mtnr is black also. I am ok with the paint job on it. Frankly, what I'm waiting for is the new panel to crack too. I think the subcontractor of these panels is making junk. We'll see. I don't understand the comment from your dealer about the fit though. They all seem to come really tight so you have to slam them to close them. I complained about that and they adjusted it just fine. It closes easy now. But leaks. That may be my leak problem. And it's not a bad leak either. Just a slight drop trail on the inside of the window after I use the washer. Not bad enough to take it in special. Next time it cracks, maybe they'll get it all right.

dj21 · December 2002

Almost bought one of the leftovers today but decided against it because of the center seat in the second row.

It seems like a major design flaw. The seat does not have a shoulder belt. Oookay. But it also does not have a headrest! What good is the seat? I'm sure it makes a wonderful tray when it's flipped over but if there's no shoulder belt then it makes it pretty useless when trying to use the seat for kids unless they're in the smallest of car seats. If you're an adult and the car gets clipped from the back, it's time for major neck surgery since whiplash is virtually guaranteed as most adult and large kids will most certainly have their heads above the top of the center seat.

Has anyone else noticed this? Is there a remedy from Mercury for the 02 model?

jrc346 · December 2002

I sat in a friends 2003 Premier V8 4WD(awesome vehicle) and it had 3 head rests for the second row seat. Maybe they went to 3 head rests for 2003? I guess 3 head rests could also be part of the premier package.
Strange though. I just looked at the interior pictures here on Edmunds and I didn't see one on the middle seat in the second row? Maybe they took it out for the picture?
On the Ford/Mercury website you can clearly see there are 3 head rests for the second row and 2 for the third row. Hope this helps clears things up!

anotherone · December 2002

Yesterday, a visitor pulled into my driveway and parked behind my 2002 Explorer. He noticed my liftgate below the glass was split, and the split was at least 1/8 inch wide. Explorer has 3200 miles. Don't know when it happened; but I would have noticed it because the split is long and wide. The wide split is vertical. It, also, has a hairline split going horizontally.

lmihok · December 2002

The 2003 Explorer and Mountaineer have a center 2nd seat shoulder belt as standard equipment. I shopped the 02 Mountaineer but would not buy because of the lap only belt. I test drove an 03 but the price is a little more than I would like to pay. Nice truck but a little pricy.

alman08 · December 2002

Went to the dealer today, finally they had it painted. I'm just going to leave it there for two weeks so they can buff the paint nice and smooth (body shop mgr said let the new paint sits two weeks or so before any buffing should be done) and then replace the crappy one. anyway, this new one that was just painted ALSO has the same depressed spots but it's just not as pronounced, so I guess I won't fuss about it.

Is it my imagination or this cracked panel issue is becoming a wide spread problem? hmmmmmmm

alman08 · December 2002

hehehehe... guess what? when I was talking to the body shop manager suggesting that Ford should look into another supplier for that panel, he said "good luck... they own by Ford..."
lol... I guess it's a family thing.

navigator3740 · December 2002

Mine was one of the first produced, we grabbed it off the patio as soon as we (my wife) saw it, so I thought it was an early production problem, but I'm less convinced now. Clearly, Ford knows it's a problem because the dealers are being very cooperative about replacing them. I'm watching the liftgate on a co-worker's Mountaineer. So far, no cracks, she's had it about a year. As widespread as it seems to be, I'd fire the family and look for a new supplier anyway.... Sometimes the "family" isn't your best deal, ala. Firestone.

swschrad · December 2002

they should use metal for something that holds a big exit hole closed in a vehicle IMHO. it just holds up better.

alman08 · December 2002

wouldn't it be funny if there is a crack when the next time you see hers? lol... you might have just jinxed it!

jjetson · December 2002

Thought I'd give an update to interested readers who are interested in buying a Ford. I have owned numerous foreign vehicles over the past 10 years, including:

1991 Mitsubishi Montero
1992 Honda Accord (2 different ones)
1991 Honda Civic
1995 Subaru Legacy L Wagon
1999 Nissan Pathfinder
2001 Honda Civic
2002 Honda Accord

I went with a 2002 Ford Explorer (26K miles) as my SUV in 8/2002 because:
1 - Price of program vehicle over new Ford, Pathfinder, or Highlander
2 - Ford Certified Program
3 - Handling
4 - Space
5 - 3rd row seat

After 8K miles, mostly highway, my likes:

1 - Handling
2 - Gas Mileage (better than 99 Pathfinder I had)
3 - Space
4 - 3rd row seat

Dislikes:

1 - Quality
2 - Quality
3 - Quality

Seriously, I've had it back in the shop for numerous issues including:

1 - Rear hatch arm (missed in 'certification')
2 - Belt mechanism (replaced 2x already)
3 - Dashboard creaking (lost total of 10+ days while dealer played detective)
4 - Driver door latch replacement (now rattles on bumps)
5 - Engine light - oxygen sensor replaced
... and other issues

If the darn vehicle would just be reliable and stop rattling, I'd recommend it. As it stands right now, another $60 month would have gotten me a Highlander without the worries. Hope your experience is better...

peaches5 · December 2002

You and I must be twins separated at birth - except for a few models and dates, my experiences are almost identical to yours

navigator3740 · December 2002

I checked today. It's fine so far. If it cracks again though, this one will go back when the lease is up. I don't like it enough to buy it. Now, my wife may protest....she really likes it. But why not? I'm the one who has to get it fixed!

navigator3740 · December 2002

Your experience is not unexpected. Nobody here has claimed the Fords are perfect - if you didn't notice - although my experience with our 97 & 98 Mountaineers nearly was. Clearly, this 2002 is not as well put together. I haven't had all the problems you have had, but I've had some, which I never had with the prior two. New design. And I think it's a great design by the way, and so do you, evidently. It's just not as good an execution of a great design. I keep hoping the later editions get better, but the boards don't support it.

Still and all, I prefer the Ford to the Toyota because of the looks, design and driving enjoyment. Those are priorities to me over perfection, as long as the car is "good". Fords have usually treated me well. Honda hasn't put out a real SUV yet, (no the Pilot doesn't qualify, it's an Oddessey under there, not tough enough, and the Highlander is a Camry, by the way). The 4 Runner has insufficient head room for me. I do have an old Civic that refuses to die, and I will defend it to the death. If I want another econobox someday, I'm sure Honda or Toyota will get the sale. But where American iron still dominates is in the truck world, IMO. That will surely be put to the test soon, but so far, no contenders as far as I can see yet.

jrc346 · December 2002

I second Navigators hope for better quality for Ford. We need to get people buying American made (I know thats a stretch these days) vehicles again. However this can't be done unless American companies put forth the effort. I guess I have been lucky with Ford quality as I have mentioned before. I just drove my sons 1996 Thunderbird and there were rattles and squeaks. The car is tight and has been reliable but there are squeaks in the drivers door and in the passenger side head rest. About 2 months ago I sold a 1996 Explorer sport and that rattled but didn't squeak. That didn't feel solid however was extreamly reliable only needing a wheel bearing and fuel pump in 92,000 miles. Now I have a 1999 Expedition that is very solid, and squeek free. A 2000 Explorer that is squeak free and I just turned a 2000 Explorer in on a lease that was very solid. However I have heard that these Explorers will probably develop squeaks and rattles later in life, but I can deal with that. I guess because my other squeaking and rattling Fords have been very reliable. I just wish that Ford would stop shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to this issue (squeaks, rattles and other nickel and dime things).

Peaches5 and jjetson-I wish you better luck with your Explorers in the future.

navigator3740 · December 2002

You are such a FORD GUY! C-mon, admit it. You bleed Ford blue! Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm afraid I do too. Oh, I like some other cars too, but there is a soft spot in my heart for a lot of Fords I have owned, and wish I had kept.

jrc346 · December 2002

It has become that obvious huh? LOL! I guess I can admit it. I think about other people out there (GM people, Toyota people, DiamlerChrysler people, Ford people etc) and wonder why we feel so strongly about these car companies that some of us (including me) don't even work for. Heck I even grew up in a GM family. I guess I became a Ford guy because I have had really good products from them. As a Ford guy its a bummer when Ford brings out a new product (2002 Explorer, Escape, and Focus) and botches it up with silly manufacturing glitches and poor materials. Recall rear hatch glass breaking into a million pieces on the new Explorers, and slicing of tires on the assembly line. A number of things went wrong on the Focus (a product of Nassars Regeim). I understand that its the manufactures fault in some cases and that their products are inferior. Yet Ford is the one that is constantly cost cutting. When will the cost cutting stop and the bullet proof quality start? These are just the minor rantings of a Ford guy though. If you are having problems with your Ford I wish you better luck with it. Stick in there if you can, maybe things will get better? If you have a good Ford I wish you many more years of continured satisfaction.
Ahhh. Now that feels better ;-)
Navigator 3740- I always look forward to your comments hehe. So, from one Ford blue bleeding guy to another...Goodnight ITS LATE!

donmarrow · December 2002

I noticed one post stating that the Explorers are being marked up over MSRP. I just bought a Mountaineer in Woodbridge, VA and got $2750 in rebates. I ended up paying below invoice....

snaris · December 2002

I just purchaced a Mountaineer yesterday for $1,100.00 under invoice. This was before the $1,000 rebate I got fro trading in a Villager. Ford wouldn't go much below invocie and I would nto get teh exctra $1,000 rebate with Ford. Plus, the Mountaineer looks nicer IMO.

motorcity3 · December 2002

Hello everybody,

Have a quick question... Has anyone encountered a problem where the overdrive light is flashing on and off repeatedly? I own a 2002 Ford Explorer 4.0L V6. It only has 8500 miles on it, about six months of driving. I hope this isn't a transmission problem, because I will be very pissed. The car is brand new!

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks.

alman08 · December 2002

uh oh... according to the owners manual, when that light flashes like that, you're supposed to bring it back to the dealer for a fix. I think it's a problem with the tranny, but it could be as minor as a computer chip related problem. But have it checked anyway for a peace of mind. Something interesting happened to mine yesterday. I started the car, turned off the O/D, and was driving. Oh boy, did I feel that jerk from 2nd to 3rd. I stopped, went again and the jerk wouldn't go away. So I turned off the engine (which is like resetting the computer no a day), and drove it again and the jerking was gone.

I will try later again driving it with the O/D off to see if it jerks again. wish me luck! lol

swschrad · December 2002

it could be any failure or just a misalignment of the gear-detect sensor. at any rate, it's a warranty deal, and it's nice to get the defects shaken out quickly. there was a pretty common set of complaints 96-99 with the 4-series tranny in which the clutch for 3rd gear failed... and some shift issues with the OD light the same years that cleared up with a computer reprogramming.

motorcity3 · December 2002

Hello again,

I just came back from the dealer. The flashing OD light was diagnosed by the computer (according to the service rep.) as a torque converter problem. Wonderful!! The rep. said that they are not 100% sure since they did not take apart the transmission or looked into it very deep. He said that there is a possibility that the sensor is faulty. Sure.
I can't believe this. As much as I want to believe in American cars and quality, once again it is proven to me that the quality is bad. but it is not only that, the service isn't that much better.

The service rep told me to bring the car back on Monday. They can't get me a loaner because they are out of them. This is after I specifically paid extra for the extended warranty program (when I bought the car) which covers free oil changes and a loaner when the car has to stay over 24hrs in the shop). But THEY have no loaners!
So the rep. said since we have the holiday (the big whopping one day off for New Years) there is no point keeping the car in since they will not be able to really look into it and if they need parts they don't have they will not come in until day later. WHAT???!? So this means that I have to wait until next Monday to even start getting the car looked at again? How does that make sense?

I don't want to make this a Foreign vs. American car/service debate, however, I can't help it. I also own a BMW 325i. Everytime I go in to BMW for anything (oil change, etc.) they always make an appointment first (something my Ford dealer doesn't do). When I make my appointment I ask for a loaner (even if I am picking up the car the same day) and when I go in it is ready and waiting for me. I am in and out in 15 minutes and I am at work on time. And if for some unusual circumstance the loaner is not there for me (because the person that was scheduled to bring it back did not) they bend over backwards and give me a ride AND pick me up from work. Try asking for that at Ford. They didn't even want to give me a ride to work.

Am I going to buy another American car or a Ford? Most likely not.

I am not trying to start a debate here. I am just giving my opinion and venting at the same time.

alman08 · December 2002

thanks for the update...
from reading this message board, according to some of the people here, the tranny on these new explorers did indeed have problems AND the technicians here in the USA weren't trainned to fix them. Good luck with your car... hopefully it will run better after it's fixed.

eiapete · December 2002

Ford has changed the liftgate somewhere in production for the Mountaineer. We owned an '02 that was built in August '01 and just purchased an '03. The glass portion of the liftgate is more difficult to close. You almost need to slam it shut. This was not the case on our '02.

We had over 21,000 miles on our '02 and there was a problem getting the truck to start. Traded in for an '03 and upgraded to a V8 since the 0% for 60 was tought to pass up

jjetson · January 2003

I agree with your comments on the 4runner. Does anyone know if there's more driver room now?

Indeed, my opinion is that the unions are a major player in the downfall of Ford and others. They were working for the country in the first part of the 20th century, but now they mostly protect inadequate workers (believe me, the education one I was a part of in NY would make you cringe if your kids were being taught by people who would have to be convicted of a felony to lose their jobs). This is not to say that there aren't dedicated, quality workers in these companies, but I'm sure they'd love to get rid of their so-called 'peers' who don't pull their own weight.

Anyway, if my 5-year-old cars squeaked and rattled, it wouldn't be as big of a deal. Also, if I was off-roading on the farm on a daily basis, it would make sense as well.

Ford die-hards will never leave, but few on the outside will join. Most will go to Toyota now (The Pilot didn't impress me nor handle very well). Lucky for Ford my father always votes Republican and always buys Ford. But he wasn't amused when I laughed at his 61K Sable blowing the engine with no reimbursement.

Happy 2003 all.

Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

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